Finland's parliament passed a law on Friday giving border officials the power to block the passage of asylum seekers from Russia after more than 1,300 people arrived in the country, forcing Helsinki to close its border, reports Reuters.
Finland has accused neighboring Russia of using migration as a weapon, encouraging dozens of migrants from countries such as Syria and Somalia to cross the border, a claim the Kremlin denies.
Helsinki believes that Moscow is encouraging the border crossing in response to Finland joining NATO, which is supporting Ukraine against a Russian invasion.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's right-wing government has said the bill is vital to stopping future arrivals, even though the law runs counter to Finland's international human rights commitments.
"This is a strong message to Russia, a strong message to our allies that Finland cares about its own security, we care about EU border security,'' Orpo said at a press conference after the vote.
More than 1,300 asylum seekers have crossed from Russia since last summer, but there have been no new arrivals since March.
Finnish border guards released a statement after the vote in parliament, saying a man had crossed the border illegally on Thursday and had applied for asylum when caught by border guards.
Finland closed its land borders with Russia late last year.
Interior Minister Marie Rantanen said at the press conference after the passage of the bill that no decision has been made on when to reopen the border crossings with Russia.
Finland's move is similar to steps taken in recent years in other European countries, including Poland and Lithuania, to make it more difficult for migrants from Russia and Russia's ally Belarus to cross the border.
The Finnish bill was passed with 167 votes in favour, 31 against. and one abstained. To pass, the proposal needed a two-thirds majority of the votes cast in the 200-seat parliament.
Orpo urged migrants who are considering coming to Europe via Russia not to set off.
"Don't go with the smugglers," he said at the press conference. "Finland takes care of its borders. Border access organized by Russia will not lead to access to Finland or Europe."
Moscow has denied such an intention. The Russian Embassy in Helsinki did not immediately respond to a request for comment.